Verification and Timely Billing

Apps can be downloaded from android and apple play stores.

December 21 2018 scheduling information update.

As you know we are highly dedicated to meeting the following rules and regulations. However, we did this prior to it being a rule because integrity and safety matter to us! We want every participate both client and provider to be protected in the services they provide and receive. 

An EVV system will electronically verify that home or community-based service visits occur by documenting:

  • type of service performed
  • individual receiving the service
  • date of the service
  • location of service delivery
  • individual providing the service
  • time the service begins and ends

In addition to the EVV system per the state auditor that visited us and care coordination rules and regulations we need to be able to say where and when clients are receiving services. When the state does a survey they reserve the right to be able to request a live visit with a client currently receiving services. I have tried different methods in order to gather this information in an effective and reflective manner but they have not worked. Therap has recently released an update for a scheduling module that I have purchased. This allows us in live time to record when we arrive and when we leave with a client. This can be done when you arrive in the driveway and when you get back in your car. IT DOES NOT TIE TO BILLING AND THEREFOR YOU ISP DATA STILL MUST BE COMPLETED AND VERIFIED AT THE TIME OF SERVICE. This addition is an update in order for me to allow the state access to clients currently in services so that if they like they can request to go to that person's home (some say the client can decline this but as we have not personally been there I am unsure).

Every provider must be programmed specifically with services. If after reviewing the following links, one is for apple and one is for andriod your system is not working to mark arrival and departure please let me know so I can review your account. 



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https://help.therapservices.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/2062 (instructions on how to use the mobile app in order to secure the required EVV, all services are included in this requirement)

Data without an verification is not billable and will not receive reimbursement. 
***On rare occasion there may be exceptions to the signature portion, if at any time your client is unable to sign, reach out directly to the agency to request a specific alternate option. 

Photo and signature required each session AT THE TIME OF SERVICE. Photos can be of activity (such as a clean room for homemaker, a front door, the location visited for a community outing) or of client. The most success has come from providers has come from using voice to text functions on phones. 

*New Data sheets cannot be acknowledged from the app. You will need to log into the full website to acknowledge new Data sheets. 

All notes must be detailed enough to be accepted by the state for billing. If notes are rejected reimbursement may not be possible and if reimbursement has been received may be retracted. 

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I want to thank each provider for working with us and your clients. Your dedication and integrity are heart warming and set an example for providers, families, and the industry as a whole. In order to offer protection for those we care about we have a service verification policy. It is a result of many sad instances (not within our network) of those we care about being taken advantage of through fraudulent billing. This harms those receiving services, honest providers, and jeopardizes the systems that we as families and individuals rely on to provide quality care. 

In response to this, I, as an individual provider had my clients or caregivers sign verifying notes and services. This gave a chance for me to keep families and clients involved in the process, reviewing notes, making sure everyone was on the same page, etc. When I expanded my company to further support the community by offering opportunities to other caring, qualified providers to access the Colorado Waiver systems (and more to come) and therefore offer support to clients and families this verification system was a very important part of doing business to ensure continued accountability and connection.

We, as a network, will always strive to set the bar, to pull the highest standards possible, to choose to follow the best path possible for all involved not due to requirements, but because it is the right thing to do. To protect, to service, to grow together as a community. 

This requirement is reflective of my expectations as an owner, of my concerns as a mother to a child with special needs, and in anticipation of laws that will become effective (in some form) in the coming years.

There is of course, always a certain amount of flexibility. Especially with the photo portion, it may be of the client, but it may also be of an activity which includes a simple picture of the front door. This in combination with the signature, time stamp, and gps location piece of the app will provide a solid layer of protection for all involved. 

If there are any challenges in using the electronic verification please reach out in order to address the need.

Above all else, thank you, for being part of this community. The more of us who are working together, the better this will be, not just today but going forward as well.

Sincerely,
Serena Akinahew, MA. ECSE Specialist, MT

---- This is a concern to the point that individuals have worked together to create a law called the Cures Act. We are privileged that we are ahead of the Cures Act effective date and have more stringent guidelines. Here is a clip and link from an article if more information is desired. ----In an industry where issues of mistrust and system abuse often rule the headlines, family and friends want reassurance that their loved ones are being provided with proper care. Government programs, like Medicaid, need accountability for the money they pay out, and proof positive that members are receiving proper care and caregivers are being held accountable. Electronic visit verification (EVV) alone doesn’t solve all problems, but implementing an EVV system is the first step to combating fraud and abuse to ensure program integrity.Apps can be downloaded from android and apple play stores.

Updates:
3/16/18, updates in red, to add clarification and tie into contract statements
12/31/18 to add in scheduling details